Jerrad Matthew Photography

Blake in Plastic

jerradmatthew — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:49:40 +0000

Sometimes it’s what a model is NOT wearing that makes the image sizzle. But in my style of photography, there’s no need to give everything away. Showing skin, but maintaining a bit of sexy mystery… that’s provocative to me.

I often get caught up in the day to day portfolio shoots for models… and I LOVE doing them, but when I get a chance to be creative and when I have a model as laid back and as open-minded as Blake, that is my passion. Blake is always up for anything, and barely questions me when I say things like, all you’ll be wearing is clear plastic. For a photographer in West Michigan, this attitude can be hard to find.

So I count myself lucky to have such an incredibly sexy male model as Blake on my side when I’m looking to do something a little different. Next step… getting some actual clothes made out of this material? Who knows! But I bet Blake will be up for it! Enjoy! -JM

Portfolio – Marcie

jerradmatthew — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:20:16 +0000

After much planning, Marcie and I were finally able to match up our schedules and get together for her portfolio photo shoot at my studio here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The plan for our shoot was to get a nice new variety of images to add to Marcie’s existing portfolio, and give it a little update. With make-up artist Hanna Wagner on board, we set out to complete four different looks.

Marcie has a certain sparkle in her eyes when she smiles. And she smiles a lot. But, there is still that hint of excitement in her eyes when she’s not smiling as well. This ease in front of the camera helped us breeze through her four looks with very little effort. Marcie has a commercial look that will sell. Enjoy! -JM

Two Looks – Rose

jerradmatthew — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:45:56 +0000

Sometimes simplicity is best. A two look photo shoot is a welcome break from the standard full portfolio shoot. Capturing a model in two different looks is certainly less stressful than working to capture them in four completely different looks. And for the model, sometimes he/she only needs a little spruce to his/her portfolio… a little addition of something new.

So, here with Matthew Agency Model Rose, we did just that. Two outfits, two backgrounds. Simple. The images will be a great addition to her existing portfolio, and gave her another experience in front of a camera. I have always said that the more time a model can spend in front of a camera, the better.

Rose is naturally beautiful, with gorgeous dark skin and phenomenal presence and style. She seems to glow in front of the camera, her personality shining through. It was a tremendous pleasure to work with her! Enjoy! -JM

A Cold Day In Nevada

jerradmatthew — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:48:29 +0000

When I travel, I enjoy setting up shoots with models in the cities I visit. When I set up a shoot with model Joey in Las Vegas, the thought of freezing cold temperatures never even crossed my mind. That, however, is exactly what we got.

Our plan was to trek into the Red Rock Nation Park to a small waterfall Joey thought he knew the location of. With only a couple vague memories of this secret spot from his childhood and a general direction in his mind, we set off. The wind was biting and far colder that I would have expected mid-day in the desert of Nevada, but after a solid 45 minutes of hiking, we found the pool and waterfall from Joey’s youth! Even though it was the plan, we were both stunned that we happen to find the exact spot we were looking for.

And just as we arrived, our second challenge came to meet us. Rain.

The weather got progressively worse, the temperature dipped, the rain continued and eventually turned to hail! Ice falling from the sky was definitely not something I had planned for on this trip! But during breaks in the miserable weather, the sun would peek out, Joey would quickly strip out of his layers, and we’d shoot at top speed. I have to say he was a trooper, even daring to stand in the water for a few shots and shedding every stitch of clothes for another.

In post production, I tried something new in my editing, going darker with less contrast that I typically use. A little change of style from my standard procedures. Enjoy! -JM

New Face – Carly

jerradmatthew — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:21:02 +0000

Carly walked into my photography studio here in Grand Rapids with a huge smile and lots of energy. As a new model looking to begin her portfolio, she was eager to get to work. We spilled out her wardrobe onto the racks and sent Carly into hair and make-up with our good friend Hanna Wagner. Carly was set to do the full 4 look portfolio photo shoot. From light and simple, to a smoldering beauty, we wanted to show multiple sides of the young, new model. Enjoy! -JM

Adam

jerradmatthew — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:51:11 +0000

Adam and I met years and years ago in Nashville. We both were living and working there at the time, and would hang out together on occasion. But more often, I watched him perform on stage at a popular club called PLAY. For some of you, you may recognize this familiar face, but may know him better as THE PRINCESS. Adam is an incredible performer and female impersonator who recently had the distinct honor of being on Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Season 4.

It was actually the announcement of the new cast, and his inclusion in that cast, that caused us to reconnect. And after a number of years of distance, we realized we lived quite close to each other. Adam had moved to the Windy City, and Chicago is only a short drive away from my home of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It wasn’t long after we reconnected that photo shoot was in the works.

Here, we wanted to show a different side of Adam. Not the glamorous punk rocker Princess… but the man behind the royal woman. We stripped away the make-up, the clothes, the lights, and the facade. In these simple, black and white images, we show Adam exposed in a way he isn’t accustomed to. I’m excited for more collaborations between Adam and myself soon!

Enjoy! -JM

PS. I finally started a page for my photography on Facebook. Be sure to like me! I like being liked!

http://www.facebook.com/JerradMatthewPhotography

Portfolio – Bonnie

jerradmatthew — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:11:05 +0000

Due to some schedule conflicts between Bonnie and myself, it took us a while to collaborate on the final choice of images from our shoot. So, in all honesty, it has been quite a while since the day we actually had Bonnie in front of my camera. What I do remember, however, is that our photo shoot went very smoothly! Bonnie was a wonderful professional, with a great vision for how she wanted to look in the final product. Bonnie had recently shot in NYC for a very well known brand book, and this experience certainly shown through during our little shoot. And even with the amount of time that has lapsed since, I think we managed to turn out some amazing images of her! Enjoy! -JM

Luke

jerradmatthew — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:05:49 +0000

Luke and I have been discussing doing a photo shoot for some time. It seemed as though our schedules simply never quite lined up. But as this series of images shows, good things come to those who wait! Luke clearly works very hard on his body, even participating in competitions. And his hard work has clearly paid off! Here is an amazing series of (mostly) black and white images shot here at my studio in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Enjoy! -JM

New Face Amaia

jerradmatthew — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:36:13 +0000

Here is new face, Amaia. She is young and naturally beautiful, but it is her eyes that truly stand out. They are her most striking feature. Here are the final images from her recent portfolio photo shoot, shot at my studio here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Enjoy! -JM

New Face – Thell

jerradmatthew — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:44:27 +0000

Fun and full of energy, not to mention her big curly hair… Thell’s photo shoot was a joy! She was laid back and comfortable in front of the lens, especially considering her young age. With a great start to her portfolio and the great vibes, she’s sure to be successful. Her big smile is infectious. Given how easy she was to work with, I’m pretty sure we finished her portfolio shoot in record time. She delivered her energy frame after frame, making it easy for me to capture some great images.

In these images you can see her heart shining through. You just wanna be there smiling along with her. Enjoy! JM